Narcissus in Chains

Rating:
Summary: A big disappointment from the Anita Blake series.
Review: If you read the other reviews criticizing this book, its true. Its definitely higher in sexual content than the last ones. Spill over from the Kiss of Shadows? Most likely. Although it is nice to see Anita Blake become more comfortable in her skin as well as the way she deals with sex. What's horrible is the disjointed interaction with the police, scenes that don't feel complete and are left up in the air. Animator's INC is not mentioned at all. With Bert at the helm, how can she not get paged by him at least once? The worst of all, which is UNFORGIVABLY BAD FORM, is the plagiarization of a previous love/sex scene from one of her OWN books!!
Where were the proofreaders?? Shame on the publisher, and shame on L.H!! As much as we want the next Anita Blake novel, take the time and put some effort into it. We want to be a part of the Anita Blake world when we read, not run from it due to bad writing.

Rating:
Summary: Proves Kiss Of Shadows is the new LKH style
Review: As has been pointed out by many other reviewers here, NiC is soft-core porn. Among the many faithful Anita Blake followers, it was for her nickname The Executioner that we loved her. In the latest (10th) of the series, Anita Blake is hard to distinguish from Meredith Gentry from KoS. It was hoped that LKH would use her "Dark Farie" Kiss of Shadows novels as her erotic line and leave Anita Blake Vampire Hunter to what LKH does best , ie action scenes with intense characterization.

I am presently loaning out my copy of Narcissus in Chains so others won't buy the hardback. Most say they will buy a paperback or used copy later, but they are in no hurry. This is from people who have been reading LKH since the first of this series. Here's hoping LKH gets Anita back on track in the future.

Rating:
Summary: Too much sex, not enough plot..
Review: I have throughly enjoyed all of the books in the Anita Blake series. However, in the latest book, the emphasis seemed to be on Anita's "complex" sex life rather than on her investigative skills. I finished it, but I'll wait for the reviews before I order another of Laurell Hamilton's books. I was disappointed. If you like Laurell Hamilton, at least wait for the paperback version.

Rating:
Summary: Grabs you and won't let go!
Review: I really couldn't put this book down! I stayed up until 5:30 in the morning finishing it and I had an 8:00 appointment that morning! Worth every lost hour of sleep. I think Laurell Hamilton has done a fine job of allowing Anita to grow up and face some realities about herself and her world. In reading over some of the other lower rated reviews here, I believe that some peoples personal moral codes have been dumped on Anita. The book IS sexy, but the characters dealt with in this book are very sensual ones and had to be addressed as so. I believe that Anita is touching a part of her "human" side in the new closeness. Without it, I think she would be one cold bitter lady. Great Work Laurell!!

Rating:
Summary: Anita Blake Newbies, Start With "Guilty Pleasuers" First!
Review: This is a revised review (because I re-read the book and my opinion changed slightly).

This is definitely not the book to read to introduce yourself to Anita Blake's universe (Anitaverse). Without knowing the background of the characters, a new reader would be totally lost. Knowing the background of the characters and the prior storyline adds so much to this book. I would definitely recommend reading this series in order, starting with the first book, "Guilty Pleasures".

Having said that, this book is definitely for the fans, in that it brings back almost every character in the Anitaverse. The primary focus is Anita, her relationships, and the effects on her of the joining of the psychic marks between her (a necromancer), Jean-Claude (a master vampire), and Richard (a werewolf leader). It also introduces a huge number of new characters. And that is a problem, because with so many new people, the old ones are slightly shortchanged with their behavior somewhat inconsistent, and the new ones aren't really fully developed. I think the previous book, "Obsidian Butterfly" was much more tightly plotted. For example, the whole question about Asher, the extent of his disfigurement, and what happened with Narcissus, set up in the teaser in "Out Of This World" is just left hanging (no pun intended). We also find out what's been happening with Damian since Anita was gone, but when everything is said and done, he's still basically in the same situation he was in at the end of "Blue Moon" - Anita's vampire-to-call and still happy about it. But no mention is made of how that is going to function day-to-day. (Which annoyed me to no end, since I'm a Damian fan.) But fans of Nathaniel will be pleased - he's heavily involved in this story and even (gasp!) exhibits some personal growth! Anita herself changes so much in this story that you have to wonder, what monsters are there out there left for her to fear?

The "mystery" definitely takes a backseat in this story. The book is chock full of plots and subplots, which makes for an interesting read, but the mystery itself is only a means to an end, not the primary focus. One of the villians of the piece is quite clear early on.

The introduction of Micah (the wereleopards' Nimir-Raj) as Anita's new alternate main squeeze seemed very forced - their relationship advanced way too quickly to be true to Anita's previous hesitancy towards personal commitment and her avowed moral character, "ardeur" or not. It would have been more believable if she had resisted the "ardeur" at least once (I'm thinking of her resitance to the munin in previous books). Her relationship with Jean Claude vacillated hot and cold throughout the book. In the beginning chapters, when she reunites with him, their relationship seems to be on a much steadier footing (and the reader is thinking "at last"). But as the story progresses, and she finds out how he's had to cope with things caused by her absence, her attitude didn't ring true and her anger at him wasn't really understandable. As mentioned by another reviewer, Richard seems as though he's being phased out for the time being. But even his behavior wasn't consistent - at first he's at peace with his beast, then we've got the angst again, then he's okay with it, then he he wants to die. That last attitude didn't make any sense at all. A suicidal Richard? I don't think so.

This book is much more sexually graphic than the rest of the series. This is not going to please a lot of readers, but it was inevitable. There had to be some sort of resolution to the situation that has been building up in the previous books. Everything made sense in the context of the story, but the sexual tension was virtually nil because everything was acted upon. And sexual tension has been one of the strong hallmarks of these books. Some scenes were definitely not for the sexually squeamish, but the scene where everyone suddenly realized that Anita wasn't on birth control *was* funny. The problem for a lot of readers will be that Anita does a complete 180 in her attitude toward her sexual behavior, as compared to her rather uptight behavior in the last book, "Obsidian Butterfly".

Contrary to what it might seem, I really did enjoy the book (even though I think that the changes to Anita's character are starting to go from the sublime to the ridiculous, I have faith that LKH will settle things somewhere along the line.). My complaints are really just the annoyances of a rabid fan, because things aren't evolving the way *I* think they should. But then again, I'm not Anita's creator - I'm just along for the ride. That's what makes this series so interesting - just when you think you know what is going to happen, the storyline takes a sharp left and heads off into a completly different direction. This is a fast-moving, enjoyable book. Most of the favorite characters got their moment in the sunlight (or moonlight, as the case may be), and fans of the wereleopard pard should be ecstatic. It is a typical LKH rollercoaster - erotic, horrific, violent, romantic. It's a book where something is happening all the time, and the many subplots ultimately tie together at the end. I know me, I'll probably wind up re-reading it a couple more times. (...)

Rating:
Summary: The Tenth Book . . .
Review: Anita Blake is changing, and I think that if we're asking why, we can look to the author. Laurell K. Hamilton is an excellent writer (her style comes through, regardless of the way the series is going, which is why I give it 5 stars), and we must remember that writing is an art. As such, it's a reflection of the artist. As Ms. Hamilton changes, so does Anita. Not that they're alike, but some traits may be similar. As Anita takes more time to think before she speaks, perhaps this means that the author is becoming more introspective? And she is certainly more confident in expressing sexuality through writing. This is a great book, but here's a word of caution before you read it: The other books in the series were not for people with weak stomachs. This one, with startling plot turns and sad tidbits that we learn about several characters, is not for the tender hearted. At least, not if you're like me, and have become fond of the characters in these books. Still, Narcissus In Chains is fantastic. Read it, I dare you.

Rating:
Summary: Still surprising us
Review: I discovered Ms. Hamilton's Anita Blake series a little over a year ago. I have since read all of her books twice and have just finished her latest, "Narcissus in Chains". While this book is a departure from her previous books, I still found it very entertaining. I had a hard time finding a stopping point while reading it. I was glad to see that Anita is finally starting to accept what she is, or has become (at least a little). While I love the character Richard, Micah seems to be a better mate for her. He understands her and accepts her for what she is, whatever that may be. I'm sure his character will be more fleshed out in the future. After all, it took nine books to get the rest of the gang to the point they are now. Richard may be taking a back seat in the story for awhile, but I bet we'll still see alot of him in the future. I also like the fact that Nathaniel seems to be getting himself together, thanks to Anita's influence. Jean Claude is still as sexy as ever. While some readers may not agree with me, I think the changes in Anita are a natural result of her characters involvement with the people (or monsters) around her. It was somewhat refreshing to have Anita accept some things for a change, rather than fight them tooth and nail (or with guns, knives, magic etc.) Some readers have complained about the increased sex scenes in this book. I thought it was handled very well. Anita is still somewhat uncomfortable with her sexuality, but she's learning to deal with it. Since marrying the marks with Jean Claude and Richard, she's inherited Jean Claudes sex drive. She doesn't have any choice but to deal with it. This book gives us a little more insight into what Jean Claude had given up in order to be "faithful" to Anita. All in all I loved this book just as much as the others. The fact that Ms. Hamilton keeps surprising me is what keeps me reading her books. Bravo Ms. Hamilton, just keep those books coming!

Rating:
Summary: Uhhhhhhhhh......
Review: Well, there was one good point that felt a bit like the rest of the series to me, and a logical outgrowth of same: when Anita picks up Jean-Claude from jail, and Zebrowski finally "gets it--" he understands why Anita no longer wants to kill Jean-Claude. Other than that, I'm not sure why Zebrowski, Dolph, et. al. were even in the book. The plot was basically an excuse to go from one sex scene to another. And how many new powers is Anita going to develop? She's a necromancer, a sexual vampire, a Nimir-Ra, a werewolf pack assassin...what next? And what happened to her job?

Rating:
Summary: Not one of her better books-
Review: I had never thought of there possibly being "too much sex", but there is IMHO way too much sex in this story. If I had wanted that much graphic sex, I would have just rented a porno flick, turned up the volume and checked out the scenery every paragraph.

It is also not well-written. Some of her stories flow well; this one bucks and sunfishes like a bronco on a cold morning with a burr under its saddle.

To top it off, it became (gasp) PREDICTABLE!!! Halfway through the book you knew who the bad guy was going to be (or at least anyone who has ever taken college literature would know)...the only question was whether Anita would screw him before she killed him.

There are a few good scenes- we get to know a bit more about Asher and Jean Claude's history, for instance, but it isn't enough. (its why 2 stars instead of 1.)

Based on her previous books, this was a MAJOR disappointment.

I'll probably either sell off my hardback copy on ebay or just donate it to my local library- it WILL NOT become part of my personal collection, unlike all of her previous Anita Blake stories. (I have 3 sets- one to keep for myself, two to loan out for others to enjoy. I wouldn't intentionally inflict this on ANY of my friends.)

Rating:
Summary: Growing up
Review: I really think this is one of the best Anita books yet. It "tops", no pun intended, my personal favorite "The Killing Dance". Anita grows up in many ways from the way she used to be. And Micah is a totally hot. Richard becomes more of his pitiful self.(Never was my fav. character). She learns to become a little more comfortable with sex. I even seem to like her a little more. We also learn more info about JC and Asher's past. VERY GOOD BOOK